Chapter 3 - The Fraudulent Contract
Six months before the gala, Julian sat at the marble kitchen island in their penthouse, tossing a thick stack of legal documents across the counter toward Sarah.
"Sign these, Sarah," Julian had said casually, without looking up from his phone. "It's just a routine waiver for the upcoming public offering. It authorizes me to represent your initial seed capital."
Sarah picked up the papers. Her trained eye immediately caught the hidden clause on page forty-two: a full surrender of all her initial investment rights and equity claims in exchange for a one-time settlement of fifty thousand dollars.
Julian was attempting to buy out her fifty-one percent foundational stake for pennies, stripping her of every legal tie to Vance Global.
Sarah looked up at Julian, feeling a cold weight settle in her chest. "Julian... did you read clause forty-two?"
Julian snapped his phone shut, his eyes flashing with irritation. "Don't play corporate attorney with me, Sarah! You're a housewife. You don't understand how modern venture capital works. Just sign it so we can close the funding round with CEO Maxwell."
"Maxwell?" Sarah asked softly. "The billionaire founder of Apex Holdings?"
"Yes," Julian bragged, puffing out his chest. "Maxwell is preparing to acquire forty percent of Vance Global for two hundred million dollars. But he only deals with clean cap tables. Sign the papers or you're holding back my success."
Sarah slowly set the pen down on the marble counter. "I need my lawyer to look over this first."
Julian slammed his fist on the table, leaning in close with a menacing glare. "If you don't sign those papers by the end of the week, Sarah, I'll file for divorce and leave you with nothing. You have no career, no income, and no proof you ever contributed to this company. You're nothing without me."
Sarah looked into the eyes of the man she had loved for seven years and saw only a greedy stranger.
She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She simply smiled faintly and nodded.
"Alright, Julian," Sarah whispered. "I'll handle it."
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Julian had no idea that Sarah wasn't going to hire a divorce attorney. She was going straight to CEO Maxwell himself.
👉 Read Part 4 to see the secret meeting between Sarah and the billionaire investor.
